I peter 1:18-25
18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. 21 Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord abides forever.”
That word is the good news which was preached to you.”
What strikes me about these verses is the eternal nature repeatedly attributed to Christ. Verse 20 says “he was foreknown before the foundation of the world.” And also, the references to his oneness with the Word of God demonstrates his eternal nature. There is reference to the imperishable seed, the truth, the gospel, the living, abiding word of God and the word of God which remains forever. Peter truly wants the elect to understand that Christ was not an afterthought of God, he was not a plan B, his authority and right to purchase the elect and gain their allegiance comes from his eternal nature. From the beginning of time Jesus has been God plan of redemption.
The second thing that stuck out to me is the reference to those living post cross. Peter is addressing elect exiles who believed after Jesus rose up, he is therefore not speaking of the patriarchs or Moses or the saints of old, not that they are not included, but Peter is saying all that has happened is for this point in time, meaning those born after the cross of Christ ought to feel a special purpose and meaning to their lives. Verse 20 he was manifested for the sake of you, who through him (Jesus) are believers, so that your faith and hope are in God, since you have been born again through the word of God this word is good news preached to you. Peter clarified earlier that this letter is to those who are elect exiles living scattered among several nations. I can’t help but wonder if Peter is referring to those who are Jewish who came back to faith, or are the elect gentiles who came to faith in God (the God of the Hebrews) through Jesus’ blood, or perhaps both. Either way Peter is specifically talking of those in the New Testament world, the followers and disciples of Jesus and the disciples Jew and gentile. It blows my mind that the things in the past were for those in the future.
I’m also really moved by the love peter talks about “love one another with brotherly love out of a pure heart” what does this look like?
God has a people that Jesus, the eternal word of God came for, came to rescue in particular “I came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel” he shed his blood to purchase, guide, redeem, bring back to God and shepherd with his word and truth. His living abiding word in us, is very much himself residing in us, just as the presence of God resided in the tabernacle and the cloud rested upon the sanctuary. This is certainly good news for the house Israel who had been cast off for a time and season because of their sin and transgression. The new covenant would be the same words but written on hearts of flesh and human hearts. The new covenant was a declaration that God kept both ends of the agreement. The new covenant renewed and restored the people who had been lost. The new covenant meant they were back in, all they had to do was believe, look up to the “serpent on the pole” and they would be saved and brought back into the fold and commonwealth which contained all the promises. This is why when Jesus was ascending his Jewish disciples said, “Lord is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom of Israel.” They had an understanding that Jesus’ presence meant a restoration. And they were neither all right or all wrong. The kingdom now meant a kingdom made up of both Jew and gentile, and even though the way for Israel was open, there was more to come. There were more eyes to be opened and more people to be born and more restoration of hearts to be brought back into the fold.
The word laws written on human hearts is Christ imprinted within us, the truth living and abiding through us, the one who existed before us for us. Thank you, Lord, that you came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel and all who would put their trust in you. Thank you that you know each one who belongs to you and will belong to you. Thank you that your blood like the finest currency purchases your people and buys them back from sin and death. I am purchased! Rescued wanted. You wanted me to believe and hope in you so you sent Jesus, I love you for this. Help me obey the truth, to love others from a sincere heart and seek you in all I do because I am born anew through the word abiding in me, imperishable seed. Bring back all those who are marked and sealed with your love and chosen.
God’s biggest ask in these passages is to love one another with a pure heart. This is what Jesus taught, and modeled by giving himself for us, this obedience to love trumps all, as Paul says all our good deeds are a noisy gong if we have not love. And what is love? What does it look like? How do we do it? What does it feel like: what does it sound like? I struggle in this area; I struggle to even like people and trust anyone never mind love them or die for them. This is a stretch for me and I definitely need Christ in me doing it. Its easy to love those who don’t need it, less is expected of us. I can love in any way I see fit, and it will be appreciated and received, but if I look at the good Samaritan he loved when it was needed, how it was needed. He left his comfort zone and did, not what he wanted or what came easy, he did what that man dying on the road needed. That is love, I think. God always has displayed love in that he does and gives what we need not what he is comfortable giving or doing. How do we know, Jesus was quite uncomfortable in the garden begging the cup to pass from him, he was in anguish hanging on that cross and no less uncomfortable taking the disgusting sins of every pervert and every violent criminal and ugly deception upon his own shoulders in order to absorb the wrath and punishment of the father’s justice. So yes I can say if I believe this then I every bit believe that love means leaving our comfort ideas and doing what is needed by the one who Is unloved and dying.
my faith place 